This is the fourth time since 2017 the city has exceeded lead levels in its water. About 43 percent of the 244 samples the city reportedexceededthe federal action level of 15 parts per billion for lead between July and December last year. The previous round of samples, collected between February and June,showedthat about 13 percent of 129 samples exceeded acceptable levels.

The latest numbers come amida federal lawsuitfiled by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that alleges city and state officials violated regulations that caused lead levels to increase. NRDC Senior Director for Health and Food Erik Olson today called the newest increases “concerning.”

Ironbound Community Corporation Director Joseph Della Fave speaks during today's city council meeting, saying MX-3 will have a "negative impact of livability" for the neighborhood.

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NEWARK, NJ - City council today passedan ordinancethat will increase allowable building height in the Ironbound despite concerns from the planning board and dissent from over a dozen residents.

The so-called MX-3 ordinance creates a new zone that affects several lots near Penn Station, allowing developments to be built up to 145 feet or about 12 stories. Previously, buildings in the area were only permitted to go up to eight stories.

Members from community-based groups like PLANewark and the Ironbound Community Corporation, which has been a partner with the city on past programs, reiterated objectionsto the ordinance today. About 15 residents also implored the council to vote no, citing concerns with parking, higher rents, gentrification and sewerage issues.

The MX-3 ordinance would affect several lots east of Penn Station in Newark's Ironbound section.

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NEWARK, NJ - A final vote draws nearer for a zoning ordinance that would allow for taller buildings in the Ironbound, but some community groups have raised a hot-button concern about the measure, saying it will cause gentrification in the neighborhood.

The Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) and PLANewark say residents in the low-lying Portuguese neighborhood with several surface parking lots could be pushed out should the creation of anew MX-3 zonebe approved on Wednesday. The Ironbound Business Improvement District and the city administration say there are other measures in place that will prevent gentrification and the area needs to be redeveloped.

The latest iteration of the proposed MX-3 ordinance would allow for buildings in an area near Penn Station to increase in height from eight to 12 stories

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose, flanked by local and state officials, announced a drop in Newark's 2018 crime rate.

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Crime in New Jersey’s largest city has hit a five decade low, with fewer burglaries, carjackings and shootings in 2018 compared to previous years, local and state officials announced Thursday.

U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Craig Carpenito and State Attorney General Gurbir Grewal joined Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose to tout the progress, that they largely attributed to cross-agency collaboration and better forays into local communities.

Overall crime in Newark is down by 15 percent. In 2018, 101 fewer people were shot than the year prior, a 30 percent drop from 2017. Officers last year removed 566 guns off the streets. Homicides dropped only slightly from 72 in 2017 to 70 in 2018. Rapes and aggravated assaults, however, increased.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka says he participated in a "union of families" ceremony in Ghana, but has not been officially married in the United States yet.

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NEWARK, NJ - Mayor Ras Baraka recently made a holiday trip to Ghana, where he says he met with local officials and conducted other business, but the mayor did one other important activity.

The mayor participated in a Ghanaian "union of families" ceremony, which means people in that country now consider him to be married, Baraka said. The Dec. 30 ceremony isn't recognized in the United States since there is no marriage license, he added.

But the 48-year-old mayor told TAPinto Newark today with a smile, after an unrelated press conference, “I am going to get married.” He did not give a date for when the nuptials would take place.

Some of the issues in 2018 will carry over into the next year. But, 2019 may be pivotal in determining the political futures of local lawmakers and shaping the public school system, whichgained controlfrom the state this year.

City Council on Wednesday approved a set of contracts with vendors that will begin to replace lead service lines throughout Newark.

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NEWARK, NJ - City council on Wednesday hired two vendors for a total of $10.3 million to begin to replacing lead service lines for homeowners.

The vendors will start to replace lead pipes for about 1,500 homes in January, city spokesman Frank Baraff said. The work represents the first part of a 10-phase project to replace lead pipes to about 15,000 homes.

“I believe that they start with homes that not only have lead service lines but also have high lead readings when the water was tested,” Baraff said when asked which homes the phase I will target.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed its request via an emergency motion as part of a larger lawsuit that alleges city and state officials caused Newark’s lead problem by violating regulations. But the federal court judge refused to grant the motion since the NRDC did not prove irreparable harm to the East Ward.

“Quite frankly, I don’t think you’ve sustained the burden,” said U.S. District Judge Esther Salas, who repeatedly became agitated that the NRDC was using evidence that did not appear in its original motion during today’s arguments in court.